Burning Calories Never Felt So Easy: In 10 Minutes Of Activity, You Can Shed More Calories Than You Think

It's true. If it takes you 10 minutes to read this article and you're laying down, you'll burn around 12 calories by the time you're done. That's according to data compiled by a British payday lender (...random).

But it's interesting nonetheless. Simply laying down for 10 minutes burns a dozen calories. Stand up, and you'll be searing 16 calories off that gut in the same amount of time. People with walking desks have the right idea; they burn 44 calories every 10 minutes, according to the infographic below.

That's not going to be enough, though, if your diet consists mainly of vegetable oil or animal fat, which pack up to 904 calories per 100 grams. Better to snack on a celery stick, which contains less than seven calories. They also suggest consuming things that have been shown to boost metabolic activity, including water and caffeine.

But be forewarned: The idea that you can simply drink a lot of water to melt the pounds away is a pipe dream. Take it from Katherine Zeratsky, writing for the Mayo Clinic. "Trying to boost your metabolism probably won't lead to weight loss, at least not to the degree that changing your diet and lifestyle habits will. ... To lose weight, focus on the factors you have control over." That is, watch your calories and increase your activity.